Hitting the tarmac three times in one day may have cost him a result in the Race to the Sun however, but Leipheimer acknowledges that things could have been a whole lot worse.

“I mean you know I am actually pretty lucky having crashed three times, hitting a motorbike,” he said in an interview on the team’s website. “I just have scrapes bruises and soreness, but it’s all going away pretty quickly.”

And on the upcoming Tour of California:

With Catalunya under his belt, Leipheimer will be building for the Tour of California, which starts in his home town of Santa Rosa on May 13th. As a three-time winner of the race, Leipheimer is looking forward to leading his new Omega Pharma-Quick Step team on US roads.

“It’s going to be exciting,” he said. “This whole year has been a fresh start, changing teams. It’s been a long time since I’ve changed teams, which brings a lot of new motivation and perspective. Regarding Amgen Tour of California, it’s an extra special year. It starts in my home town of Santa Rosa. I think that our community has been looking forward to this for a long time. I’m right there with them, looking forward to it. It’s going to be exciting.”